Cover for swimming pools

ABSTRACT

A protection device for swimming pools and similar types of pools, which are provided with a surrounding pool edge, including a pool cover which can be pulled or folded out for covering the pool and be pulled, retracted or folded in for decovering the pool. The pool cover includes a first end portion which is connected to a first, elongated carrier, and a second, opposite end portion which is connected to a second, elongated carrier. The first carrier is fastened to a fundament, i.e., a base fixed at a position located outside the pool edge, whereas the second carrier is pivotally arranged at the first carrier so that the pool cover from a retracted position can be brought to cover the pool by pivoting out the second carrier in relation to the first carrier.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a protection device for swimming pools andsimilar types of pools, which are provided with a surrounding pool edge,the protection device comprising a pool cover which can be pulled orfolded out for covering the pool and be pulled, retracted or folded infor uncovering the pool.

Nowadays there are requirements that swimming pools shall be protectedwhen not used. The reason for that is that children shall be preventedfrom falling into the pool and from drowning. An essential advantagewith a pool cover is partly that the vaporisation from the pool isreduced, partly that the wasteage of additives is prevented.Furthermore, the number of swimming pools has strongly increased lately.These facts taken together have had the consequence that the demand forpool cover has strongly risen.

From U.S. Pat. No. 3,008,148 is previously known a pool cover forprotection of swimming pools having a circular design. The pool cover isintended to be folded out and folded in. However, the device has a verycomplicated construction. Thus, the pool cover shall be kept in place inthe pool by means of a cylinder functioning as a ballast device andbeing intended to be placed on the bottom of the pool in its centrepart. From this cylinder goes up an essentially vertical pipe which inits upper end is connected with the pool cover and keeps the same inplace. When the pool shall be used, the cylinder-like lump and the poolcover have accordingly to be lifted away from the pool which is a verycomplicated measure. Due to that fact, the known pool cover has not hada great importance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention intends to remove the problems with the known techniqueand to provide a pool cover which is very simple to fasten to the poolwhen the pool is not used and to take away from the pool when the poolshall be used. This has been made possible by a pool protection of thekind mentioned by way of introduction which is characterized by thecombination of the following features:

The pool cover has a first end portion, which is connected to a first,elongated carrier provided with two end portions, and a second, oppositeend portion which is connected to a second, elongated carrier, providedwith two end portions.

The first carrier is fastened to and borne by a fundament which ispositioned outside the pool edge.

The second carrier at its one end portion is pivotally journalled at theone end portion of the first carrier about an essentially vertical,first shaft so that the pool cover from a retracted position where thetwo carders are close to each other can be brought to cover the pool bypivoting out the second carrier in relation to the first one.

The second carrier has elongated, movement-facilitating means which aredirected in the longitudinal direction of the carrier and which has suchan extension that a part of the means will always be in contact with theedge surrounding the pool.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features of the invention will appear more closely below inconnection with the description of two preferred embodiments of the poolprotection according to the invention. In this connection reference ismade to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a view from above of a first embodiment of the poolprotection with the pool cover in an inactive position for anessentially round swimming pool, the pool edge surrounding the swimmingpool comprising a pool border;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the swimming pool with a poolprotection, the pool cover being partly in an active position;

FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the pool protection, taken along theline III--III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a view of the pool protection according to FIG. 1, seen inthe direction of the arrows IV--IV;

FIG. 5 shows a plurality of devices for fastening the pool cover to theborder of the swimming pool;

FIG. 6 shows a detailed illustration of a fastening device of the kindshown in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 shows a schematical illustration of a second embodiment of thepool cover.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 is shown there the pool cover 1 applied on anessentially round swimming pool 2. The pool cover 1 comprises twoelongated carriers 3, 4, which, when the pool protection is in aninactive position, are arranged like a two-piece cassette with the onecarrier 3 positioned above the other one 4,

The cassette is fastened to and borne by a fundament 5 (i.e., a base)which is preferably fixed in the ground by casting just outside the poolitself. Furthermore, the cassette is pivotally journalled about anessentially vertical shaft 6 in the fundament so that it can takedifferent positions in relation to this one, preferably an activeposition (indicated by A in FIG. 1) when the outer end of the cassetteprojects essentially to the mid portion of the pool, and an inactiveposition (indicated by B in FIG. 1) when the cassette is pivoted intothe pool edge in order not to be an obstacle to those who use theswimming pool.

In FIG. 2 is shown the lower cassette part, i.e. the carrier 4 extractedfrom the upper cassette part, i.e. the carrier 3. In order that thisshall be possible, the lower carrier 4 is pivotally arranged on theupper carrier 3 at the outer end portion of this one about anessentially vertical shaft 7. Furthermore, the lower carrier isbox-shaped and is intended to contain the pool cover 8 itself (see FIG.3), the one end of which is fastened to the upper carrier 3, whereas itsother, opposite end is fastened to the lower carrier 4. The uppercarrier 3 is preferably made of aluminium profiles, which overlap eachother on their top sides, and has a design which narrows in thedirection towards its free end.

As is shown in FIG. 2, the swimming pool has a surrounding border 9. Onthe top side of this border, the lower carrier 4 is intended to movewhen extracting the pool cover 8. In order to facilitate this movement,the end portion 10 of the lower carrier 4, intended to be in contactwith the border 9, has two roller-like means 11, 12. These means 11, 12are essentially parallel with the carrier 4 and have such a length thateven if the pool is not completely round, for instance if it iskidney-shaped, they shall be in contact with the top side of the poolborder 9. For this purpose, the length of the roller means shall be thesame as the difference between the greatest and the least distancebetween the pool border and the centre of the pool.

The pool protection is provided with a locking device 13, (see FIGS. 2,4), which is designed like a handle, and by which the cassette can belocked in its active position in the centre of the pool and in itsinactive position at the peripheral part of the pool. The inner endportion of the upper carrier 3 has a hinge-like fastening 14 in relationto the fundament 5. Due to that fact, a raising of the outer end portion15 of the carrier 3 is made possible, when a pressure from below isapplied onto the carrier 3 at the point 16 (see FIG. 4) by means of thelocking device 13. This means that, when the pool cover 8 covers thepool 2, the outer end portion 15 of the carrier 3 brings the pool cover8 at the centre of the pool with it, which has the positive effect thatthe drainage of rain water from the pool cover 8 is improved, wherebythe rain water is prevented from streaming down into the pool.

As is apparent from FIGS. 5, 6, the pool protection comprises a greatnumber of devices 17 for fastening the pool cover 8 to the pool border9. Due to that fact it is possible to prevent, for instance, strongwinds to catch the pool cover and to lift it up. These fastening devices17 are positioned at a distance from each other around the periphery ofthe pool.

Each fastening device 17 comprises a first means 18 which is intended tobe fastened in the pool cover 8 and a second means 19 which is intendedto be fastened by hooking in a cavity 20 made in the upper part of thepool border 9. The two means 18, 19 are connected with each other bymeans of a bar 21 which is spring-loaded, whereby the means 18 has apossibility to get further away from the meads 19 against the action ofthe spring 22. This fact facilitates the raising of the pool cover 8,especially if the distance from the centre of the pool to the pool edgevaries around the periphery of the pool, which, as has been mentionendpreviously, is made in order to facilitate the drainage of rain water.

When covering the swimming pool 2 the following steps are followed. Inthat connection, it is supposed that the two-piece cassette 3, 4 isplaced in an inactive position at a peripheral part of the pool.

The cassette 3, 4 is pivoted out so that its free end portion ends up atthe centre part of the swimming pool 2. In this connection, the uppercarrier 3 is locked by means of the locking device 13. In this position,the lower carrier 4 is resting on the top side of the border 9 at itsinner portion and is at its outer end connected with the outer end ofthe upper carrier 3 by means of the shaft 7, the lower carrier 4 beingpivotally arranged in relation to the upper carrier about the mentionedshaft. Thereafter, the lower carrier 4 is pivoted out from its inactiveposition under the upper carrier 3. In this connection, the roller meansroll on the top side of the border 9. At the same time, the pool cover 8slides out from the lower carrier 4 and begins to cover the pool. Thelower carrier 4 is rolled on the top side of the border 9 around theentire pool so that, after a turning of 360°, it ends up under the uppercarrier 3. In this position, the entire pool 2 is covered by the poolcover 8. At the same time as the pool cover 8 is folded out, the poolcover 8 is fixed by locking on the top side of the pool border 9 by thefastening devices 17. Finally, the pool cover 8 is raised at the centreof the pool 2 by means of the locking device 13.

When uncovering the pool the different steps are made in an oppositeorder and direction, the loosening of the fastening devices 17 having tobe started at the imagined terminal position of the pool cover.

In FIG. 7 is shown a schematical illustration of a second embodiment ofthe pool protection according to the invention. This embodiment issuitable to be used on pools having an unusual design, for instancekidney-shaped ones as in the figure.

Even the swimming pool 24 according to FIG. 7 has a surrounding poolborder 25. Outside the pool edge is arranged a fundament (i.e., a base)26 in which a first carrier 27, provided with two end portions 28, 29,is fastened and borne. In this connection, the first end portion of thecarrier 27 is arranged in the fundament 26. A second carrier 30,provided with two end portions 31, 32, is pivotally journalled with itsone end portion 31 at the first end portion 28 of the first carrier sothat the second carrier 30 can be pivoted out in relation to the firstcarrier 27.

In the same way as in the first embodiment, this second embodiment isintended to comprise a pool cover provided with two end portions. Theone end portion is intended to be connected to the first carrier 27,whereas the second end portion is intended to be connected to the secondcarrier 30. Due to that fact, the pool cover will cover the pool 24 whenthe second carrier 30 is pivoted out in relation to the first carrier27.

In order to facilitate the movement of the second carrier 30 on the pooledge 25, the second carrier 30 is provided with elongated,movement-facilitating means which are directed in the longitudinaldirection of the carrier. These means have such an extension that a partof the means will always be in contact with the edge 25 surrounding thepool 24.

The invention is of course not limited to the mentioned embodiments butcan be modified within the scope of the following claims. The carriersof the end portions of the pool cover, for instance, can be in the sameplane and accordingly be placed beside each other in an inactiveposition. Furthermore, the pool itself could be dug into the groundwhich would mean that no projecting border would be needed.

I claim:
 1. A protection device for a pool which has an outer peripheralsurrounding edge, comprising:a base adapted to be located outside saidsurrounding edge of said pool; a first, longitudinally elongated carrierhaving a first end and a second end; a first support, by which saidfirst end of said first carrier is mounted to and borne by said base; asecond, longitudinally elongated carrier having a first end and a secondend; a second support, by which said second end of said first carrier ispivotally mounted to said second end of said second carrier, for pivotalmovement about a substantially vertical axis between a retractedposition in which said first and second carriers are located adjacentone another and are generally aligned, and an extended position in whicha substantial angle is included between said first and second carriers;a pool cover having two angularly opposite ends, including a first endconnected to said first carrier so as to extend in a direction from thefirst to the second ends of said first carrier, and a second endconnected to said second carrier so as to extend in a direction from thefirst to the second ends of said second carrier, so that as said secondcarrier is moved from said retracted position to said extended position,said pool cover is extended, for covering at least a portion of the pooland as said second carrier is moved from said extended position to saidretracted position, said pool cover is retracted, for uncovering atleast a portion of the pool; and a movement-facilitating structure whichis elongated lengthwise of said second carrier, mounted to said secondcarrier, and arranged to continually support said first end of saidsecond carrier on said surrounding edge of said pool when said secondcarrier is in said retracted position, when said second carrier is insaid extended position, and when said second carrier is being movedbetween said retracted and extended positions.
 2. The pool protectiondevice of claim 1, wherein:said first support includes a substantiallyvertical axis pivot shaft which enables pivotal movement of the firstand second carriers and the pool cover, when said second support is insaid retracted position, between an active position in which said secondends of said first and second carriers are located more centrally of thepool, and an inactive position in which said second ends of said firstand second carriers are located more peripherally of the pool.
 3. Thepool protection device of claim 2, wherein:said first and secondcarriers respectively constitute an upper part and a lower part of acassette, for containing said pool cover when said second carrier is insaid retracted position.
 4. The pool protection device of claim 3,further including:a lockable and unlockable lock between said first endsof said first and second carriers, which, when locked when said secondcarrier is in said retracted position facilitates pivoting of saidcassette between said active and inactive positions, and which whenlocked when said carrier is in said extended position preventsretraction of said second carrier from said extended position.
 5. Thepool protection device of claim 4, wherein:said first support includes ahorizontal axis hinged connection of said first end of said firstcarrier to said first support; and said lock is arranged to cause saidfirst carrier to pivot second-end-upwards about said hinged connectionwhen said lock is changed from being unlocked to being locked and saidsecond carrier is in said extended position.
 6. The pool protectiondevice of claim 2, wherein:said movement-facilitating structure includesat least one roller mounted for rotation about a generally horizontalaxis.
 7. The pool protection device of claim 1, wherein:said pool coverhas an outer perimetrical edge extending between said first ends of saidfirst and second carriers; and said pool cover, at said outerperimetrical edge thereof, has mounted thereto a plurality of fasteningdevices spaced from one another along said outer perimetrical edge andarranged for fastening said pool cover, about said outer perimetricaledge, to the pool at the outer peripheral surrounding edge of the pool.8. The pool protection device of claim 7, wherein:each said fasteningdevice includes a first part fastened to the pool cover, a second partarranged to be hooked into the outer peripheral surrounding edge of thepool, and a spring-loaded connector between said first and second partsfor tending to urge said first and second parts towards one another.